Caring for a Child with Autism

Pictured above: Ryan and Elaine

Autism is a condition that affects one in every 100 people in the UK, and there are varying symptoms across the autism spectrum. Autism can cause speech and language problems, learning difficulties, or in some cases above average intelligence. The condition can have a significant impact on the sufferer and the lives of affected families.

Elaine Pearce, 36, cares for her five-year-old son, Ryan, who has autism, epilepsy and hypermobility of the joints. Ryan’s complex health conditions mean that he needs constant care and attention.

Negative Effects of Stress and How to Manage It

Heart pounding? Sweating? Can’t concentrate? You may be suffering from excess stress levels. Stress is your body’s reaction to a situation or event, often known as the ‘fight or flight’ response, or to the feeling of being unable to cope with pressure.

In small amounts, stress can be helpful as it enhances our performance and can make us more alert, but excessive or prolonged amounts can lead to illness, physical and emotional exhaustion.

According to the NHS, carers make up more than 12% of UK employees, and more than 2 million people become carers each year. That’s a lot of people caring for a lot of friends, relatives and loved ones.

Caring is a rewarding, yet challenging, experience. You might think that continuing to work would add extra stain, but many carers find that working has a positive influence on their wellbeing. It gives them a purpose, social interaction, self-esteem, financial freedom and a break away from caring-related issues.

If you’re thinking of going back to work or already juggle employment and caring for someone, there are a range of things you can do to make things easier.

Over the coming years, managing chronic health conditions like diabetes, arthritis and cancer, are going to become an increasingly critical issue for employers.

The rise in state pension age means people are going to be working for longer – many of whom will develop long-term health conditions while they are still in work. Very often, physical and mental health issues go hand-in-hand. Among people with chronic musculo-skeletal disorders (MSDs), for example, up to 30 per cent also have co-morbid depression or anxiety. Living with both a physical and mental illness can make staying in – or returning to work, much more difficult to manage. It’s therefore vital that employers ensure they provide the right support for employees in order to retain their best talent and help them manage multiple health conditions including mental ill health alongside their work.

If you’re trying to be healthier, Easter can be a hard time to stay on the straight and narrow, but you don’t have to feel left out. Try our tips for a healthier Easter weekend that’s fun and family friendly.

Start your day the eggcellent way

Start your day with a healthy breakfast of eggs. For a number of years eggs were thought to be bad for you due to their high cholesterol levels, but recently saturated fat has been shown to be more likely to raise your overall cholesterol levels. Eggs are very high in nutrients such as vitamins A, E and B12, plus they’re nearly all protein which helps to keep you full for longer.

Many people haven’t heard of Latent Autoimmune Diabetes of Adults (LADA), also known as type 1.5 or slow onset type 1 diabetes. Usually diagnosed in people over the age of 25, it doesn’t require medication of insulin immediately, but this can become required further down the line.

Izzy Mustafa, 32 from Hull, was recently diagnosed with this less commonly known condition early this year.

“My immune system is attacking my Beta Cells – Insulin producing cells in the pancreas. It will eventually reduce my insulin production to a level that requires me to have insulin injections.”

A Confused Doctor

LADA or type 1.5 diabetes is often misdiagnosed as type 2 initially, with Diabetes UK estimating about 10-15% of people have been wrongly diagnosed. It can take a while for the correct diagnosis to be made, as people with LADA often appear quite healthy – they often don’t share the standard type 2 diabetes characteristics of being overweight, unfit or having metabolic syndrome indicators (a group of risk factors including high blood pressure, high blood sugar, unhealthy cholesterol levels and abdominal fat). Read more →

Charity Fundraising for Mother’s day

For many people, mums are the heart and soul of a family, but sometimes we forget to say thank you for all the amazing things they do. With Mother’s Day approaching, we spoke to a number of charities holding events or campaigns that celebrate mums.

Action Cancer

Action Cancer is Northern Ireland’s leading local cancer charity. It provides a variety of services such as digital breast screening, therapy services, M.O.T health checks and health promotion programmes. They don’t receive any government funding for the work they do, so all funding

“The Mother’s Day walk is an annual event we hold in honour of mothers in the beautiful Hillsborough Forest park grounds. People take part in memory of lost mothers, with their children, as a celebration of beating cancer or just to enjoy a lovely walk whilst fundraising for a great cause. It’s 1.5 miles long and fairly gentle, so is suitable for everyone no matter their age and fitness level. Buggies are welcome too!

“At the end, every participant receives a goody bag provided by SuperValu and mid-morning tea, coffee, scones and other treats, so it makes for a lovely day. For people who’ve lost someone close to them, it can be a very comforting event where you can meet other people in similar circumstances. Read more →

Life after Liver Transplant Surgery and A Diabetes Diagnosis

Tony West

Staying positive when you’re affected by a serious illness isn’t easy. But Tony West, 52, does just that. Tony was diagnosed with a rare liver disease in 1988 which led to a liver transplant. Then, in 1992, he found out that he also had Type 1 diabetes. Read his story below.

Living with Autoimmune Hepatitis

Tony’s life took a dramatic turn after returning from a holiday in the Far East.

“I was jaundiced and feeling very unwell, so the doctors knew roughly what the problem was. However, it took them a while to establish what type of Hepatitis it was as there are five strains and my symptoms didn’t fit any of them neatly. After a few tests and medical history check, they diagnosed it as Chronic Autoimmune Hepatitis (AIH) which is a fairly uncommon form.

“Doctors don’t know for certain what causes AIH, but they believe it’s due to white blood cells attacking the liver cells. My symptoms included feeling tired all the time, losing weight and feeling sick after eating anything, but you can also get joint pain, abdominal pain and unusual blood vessels showing up around your body.” Read more →